Comber nipper system



p 1945. F. L. CROCKETT 2,334,603

COMBER NIPPE'R; SYSTEM Original Filed Oct. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Spt. 11 1945. I c T 2,384,603

COMBER NIPPER SYSTEM Original Filed Oct.- 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllll Which the nipper knife 9 Patented Sept. 11, 1945 COMBER NIPPER SYSTEM Frank L. Crockett, Tenants Harbor, Maine, as-

signor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsvill'e, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application October 2, 1940, Serial No.

359,385, now Patent No. 2,353,812, dated July 13, 1944. Divided and this application August 13, 1942, Serial No. 454,748

9 Claims. gol. 19 -121) This invention is an improved form of nipper system for Heilmann type combers, being a division of my application Ser. No. 359,385, filed October 2, 1940, Patent No. 2,353,812 to which reference may be had as to all parts shown in the drawings but not herein specifically described.

The object of this invention is to improve the nipping action especially for use on short fibre cotton lap and is realized by an improved organization of nipper knife actuation and co-action with the cushion plate, all as hereinafter fully described and pointe out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively front and elevation views, partly in section, of one of the heads of a cotton comber in which the invention is present; Fig. 3 is a section of the comber head taken substantially on the plane of the top comb arms; Fig. 4 is a sec-- tion through the nipper jaws and Fig. 5 is a detail of said jaws.

The nipper system comprises a nipper frame 25 to which the cushion plate 8 is bolted, and on is pivotally mounted. This frame is carried by two front suspension links 26 pivoted at a high level on the frame Lip-- rights almost directly over the comb cylinder l5, the pivot studs being marked 2?. The frame is pivotally supported in the lower ends of these front links by the pivot studs 23 projecting from the side Walls of the nipper frame. The rear part of the nipper frame is pivotally connected and thereby supported in the lower ends of a pair of crank arms 29 depending downwardly from a rock shaft 30 and substantially parallel with the front links 26. The rock shaft is a through shaft operated from the drive-head of the machine and is referred to as the nipper wag shaft. It is journailed in each upright on a pillow block 3! of which the journal cap 32 forms the support for the journal bearings 33 and 34 of the creel-roller shafts 6 and l as well as for some other parts.

The rocking movement of the Wag shaft 30 gives the nipper frame its oscillation toward and from the detaching rollers I I and I2. It is to be noted that the path of the nipper jaws, or front edge of the cushion plate 8, is virtually a straight line, being the composite of the arcs of the front links 26 and the Shorter crank arms 29, and that this effect is accomplished by locating the nipper studs 28 well to the rear of the nipping line and making the crank arms 29 much shorter than the front links '26.

The nipper knife 9 is carrie on two arms 35 which are pivoted to the nipper frame on the inside of the side walls thereof at the point marked 36. It is opened and closed by the swinging movement of the frame by means of twoknifeactuating studs 31 which are carried in the front ends of the arm and in positions which are prac- :tically in the vertical plane of the knife itself.

These actuating studs 3'! project beyond the nipper frame walls toward the adjacent frame up rights and there each engages a relatively fixed cam-track member 38 mounted on the upright between the latter and the nipper frame. The cam slots or tracks in these members are so designed or shaped that theforward swing of the frame cams the nipper knife to open position and the backward swing closes it, nipping the lap against the cushion plate.

This nipping pressure is made appropriately resilient by providing the cam-track member 38 with a resilient support on the frame upright, for which purpose it is preferably pivoted to the up right, as indicated at 39, with its upstanding arm jointed to a spring plunger 40 contained in a spring housing M, and subject to adjustment as to spring pressure by the thumb nut 42. Thus when the nipper frame swings forwardly, the knife is positively opened and when it swings backwardly, the knife is closed with a firm pressure that can be independently adjusted at each end. Due to the shape of the am-tracks, the knife studs do not encounter pressure of the nipper springs (in housings 4!) until they are near the rear ends of their tracks, at which time such resistance is useful in overcoming the momentum of the swinging frame as it reverses its direction of movement, this being a factor contributing to smoothness of operation and capabil ity of high speed-operation.

It may be pointed out also that the nipper arms 35 are not levers as usually employed, since the nipping pressure is exerted through the studs in virtually the plane of the knife, and not through the arms nor subject to their flexure, which in turn allows these arms to be of lighter weight, correspondingly reducing the weight of the nipper system. With the cam-tracks and nipper lar manner of support is of course subject to choice.

As will be understood, the nipping pressure exerted by the nipper knife requires to be heavy in.

order to hold every fiber of the tuft against pulling through by the action of the comb cylinder and it is customary to shape the coacting faces of the nipper jaws with interfitting ribs and grooves so as to bend as well as squeeze the fibers of the lap. To obtain maximum security such jaws commonly bend the fibers to such an extent as to leave visible and permanent crease marks on the fleece product, giving a crinkled and unsatisfactory appearance.

According to this invention such appe rance is avoided without weakening the nip or requiring heavy nipper pressure, by giving the fiber-engaging faces of these members a contour such as is indicated in Fig. 5 in which it will be observed, first, that :both nipping members are metal, second, that the opposing nipping faces are parallel to each other, and third, that there are a plurality of such faces in such angular relation that the lap is at no point sharply bent. The angle between adjoining pressure faces, such as 8a and 8b, is an obtuse or at least a blunt angle, as is also the angle between pressure 'faccs 8b and 8c, and in consequence the cushion plate presents no upstanding obstructing ridge to the advance of the lap which at this point is pushed along it by the action of the feed roller 5 in rear. The head ends of the lap fibers can ride over this formation without being turned back on the under side of the lap, as happens in other types of nippers, hence reducing noil production. At the middle bending point, that is, at the junction of nipping faces 8b and 8c, the nipper knife is provided with a longitudinal lrelief .groove 60 which is an important factor in preventing the crinkled effect in the fleece, and is believed to function by avoiding pressure at a point where a fullness of lap tends to develop. In any event the lap is held with unusual security by this arrangement and with nipping pressures furnished by the two-way, resilient cam tracks above described, that are'light enough not to develop maintenance troubles over long periods of high speed use.

It is, of course, to be understood that the construction described is mainly exemplary and that the principles thereof can be embodied in different forms within the invention. r a

The parts of the comber in which this invention is illustrated in the drawings, and which do not have direct relation therewith, include the following: the drive head gearing comprising gears I211, I511, 91, 98, I08, I09, IID, I20, I2I, I.22, I21 and I28; the creel and supply system comprising parts 2, 3, 4, 5, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, BI, 52, 53,54, 55,,

55', 56, 51, 58, and 59; the top comb system comprising parts I3, BI, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 61, 68, 69,.

10, N and 12; the detaching andpiecing system comprising parts marked I4,.I5, 1-5, 18, I9, 89, BI, 82, 81, 81a, 88, 89 and I25; the delivery system comprising parts I6, 41, I8, I9, 20,90, 90a,

SI, 95, 96, H3, II3a, H5 and H8. The frame uprights are marked I.

I claim:

1. In a comber, detaching mechanism, a forwardly and backwardly moving nipper frame cooperating therewith and including a nipper knife pivoted thereon, and a cam track located one at each side of said nipper frame in fixed positions relatively thereto and each engaged by the knife structure therein and having opposing faces for actuating said knife structure on each direction of stroke of said nipper frame.

2. In a comber, a swinging nipper frame having a nipper knife provided with means extended from the ends thereof substantially in its own plane, and relatively fixed members at the sides of the frame engaged by saidmeans to close the knife :by the effect of the swinging movement of said frame.

3. In a comber, a swinging nipper frame including a nipper knife pivoted thereon and adapted to nip the lap, studs projecting from the ends of said knife and resiliently mounted cam tracks engaged by said studs to cause the knife to 05- cillate on its pivotal axis.

4. In a comber, a swinging nipper frame hav-, ing a nipper knife pivoted thereon 'to nip the lap with studs projecting from said knife and pivotally mounted cam tracks engaged by said studs for causing the knife to oscillate on its pivotal axis.

5. In a comber, a swinging nipper frame in-- cluding a nipper knife provided with cam tracks .at the sides of the frame to move the knife. in :both opening and closing directions and means for independently adjusting the action of said cam tracks on said knife.

6. In a cotton combing machine, the combination with the lap-feeding, combing and detaching mechanism, of nipper jaws comprising a cushion-plate and a nipper knife coactingtherewith to nip the cotton between three angularly related substantially fiat pressure faces on the.

plate, said faces being in planes substantially perpendicular to the direction of the knife movement and a relief groove in the knife between two of said faces. a

7. In a cotton comber, the combination with the lap-feeding, combing and detaching mechanisms, of nipper jaws comprising a cushion-plate free of any upstanding obstruction to lap movement thereover and presentingangularly related flat faces occupying planes transverse to the jaw movement to take the nipping pressure, and a coacting nipper knife having pressure faces parallel to said faces and a relief groove between the pressure faces of the knife.

8. In a cotton comber a nipper System includthe lap at three points but only to obtuse angles.

at each point and a relief roove formed in one of said jaws at the middle point of bending, all of said faces being transverse to the nipper jaw movement.

FRANK L. OROCKE'IT. 

